This invention relates generally to improvements in devices and kits used for collecting and analyzing biological specimens, particularly such as medical specimens. More specifically, this invention relates to an improved and substantially self contained test unit or kit for collecting and analyzing a biological specimen.
Medical swabs are generally known in the art for use in collecting biological specimens from a patient for further analysis. Such medical swabs commonly comprises a fibrous swab tip at one end of an elongated stick or shaft which is manually handled to contact the swab tip with selected tissue cells or other biological specimen obtained, for example, within the ear, nose or throat of a patient. As a result, some of the targeted biological specimen adheres to the swab tip which then can be contacted with one or more chemical reagents to indicate the presence of infection or other information regarding patient condition. Tests commonly performed with such patient specimens include, by way of example, fluorescent tests, enzymatic tests, monoclonal based tests, agglutination tests, and others. Moreover, swabs and similar reagent test methods are also used in a variety of nonmedical applications to determine the presence of selected biological organisms on a selected surface, such as a food preparation surface in a restaurant or the like.
In accordance with standard specimen collection and test preparation techniques, the biological specimen is normally transferred from the swab tip to a slide or other laboratory apparatus such as a test tube or the like for contact with the selected reagent or reagents and further analysis. However, it is frequently difficult to ensure transfer of a sufficient specimen quantity from the swab tip to the laboratory slide or test tube to ensure accurate test results. Moreover, in many instances, the collected specimen must be transported to an off-site laboratory for performance of selected assays, but delays between the time of specimen collection and actual test performance can result in partial or complete drying of the specimen, with a corresponding decrease in test reliability.
In addition, such conventional handling of a biological specimen in the course of preparing and/or performing an analysis undesirably exposes personnel to direct contact with the collected organism, wherein direct contact with infectious or toxic organisms can be especially undesirable. In this regard, a variety of swab-type specimen collection and test devices have been proposed in efforts to provide enhanced contact between a specimen and reagents, or to sustain the specimen in an improved manner during transport to a laboratory, while at the same time reducing or minimizing risk of direct personnel contact with the collected specimen. See, for example, the test units or kits disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,792,699; 4,707,450; 4,978,504; 5,078,968; 5,238,649; and 5,266,266, wherein a collected specimen on a swab or the like is placed into a specimen chamber formed within a compact housing which includes means for delivering one or more chemical reagents for contacting the specimen on the swab. In some test procedures, the mixed specimen and reagent is adapted for delivery from the specimen chamber to external components such as a laboratory slide, or to additional chambers within the test unit for contacting the specimen with additional reagents which may be provided in liquid or dry form. U.S. Pat. No. 5,238,649 discloses test unit variations including an elongated diagnostic strip adapted for wick flow passage of the mixed specimen and reagent, and wherein the diagnostic strip may impregnated with one or more additional reagents selected to provide a visual indicator of test result.
The present invention pertains to an improved specimen test unit or kit of the type including a diagnostic strip for providing a visual indicator of test result, wherein the diagnostic strip is assembled with the test unit in a compact and convenient package which is substantially fully self contained, relatively simple to manufacture, and relatively easy to use while providing test results which are highly reliable and easy to read.